PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy’s C-40 fleet has undergone some major changes in the last few months — adding two airplanes, one squadron and completing its current planned aircraft procurements, according to a Naval Air Systems Command release. 

The Tactical Airlift Program Office (PMA-207) took delivery of the Navy’s 16th aircraft in June and 17th aircraft on Sept. 26. The Navy’s latest C-40A will be assigned to U.S. Naval Reserve Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VR) 57. 

These last two deliveries have allowed the C-40 fleet to realign and expand its horizons. 

“The C-40 plays an important role in the Navy Unique Fleet Essential Airlift (NUFEA) fleet,” said Capt. Steve Nassau, PMA-207’s program manager. “These extremely flexible logistics support aircraft are an integral part of every type of maritime mission, from humanitarian assistance to long-range, high priority deliveries.” 

The sixth Navy C-40 squadron was established in September. VR-51, nicknamed the Windjammers and deploying from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, received two C-40 aircraft from the fleet. The squadron will be fully operational in October, following receipt of its “safe for flight” certification. 

“The … certification is an entire program overview in which the government ensures that all contractor, aircrew and government operating procedures are in place and functioning correctly,” said Darwin Lazo, PMA-207’s medium-lift deputy assistant program manager for logistics. “It is the final certification for a new squadron.” 

VR-51 will soon begin entering the VR deployment rotation. 

“There is always a C-40 deployed to U.S. Central Command, U.S. European Command and U.S. Pacific Command to meet mission requirements,” said Donna Elliott, PMA-207’s medium-lift IPTL. 

Over the past year, the C-40 fleet logged 24,374 hours of flight time, completed 1,555 missions, transported 95,746 passengers and 20 million tons of cargo. In doing so, the aircraft has maintained a 90% readiness rate and has played a vital role in providing military transport not available with contract or commercial carriers. The C-40, a commercial derivative of the Boeing 737-700C, is the mainstay of the Navy’s medium-lift capability.

KODIAK, Alaska — The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley returned to their homeport in Kodiak on Oct. 20 following a 40-day deployment throughout the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, the Coast Guard 17th District said in a release.  

Since departing Kodiak in September, the crew patroled 5,000 miles and conducted 13 at-sea boardings.  

The crew also conducted law-enforcement operations during the opening of the red king crab season and participated in several search-and-rescue cases. Most notably, Alex Haley’s onboard helicopter crew medically evacuated a crew member from fishing vessel Alaska Victory after he was exposed to a release of toxic ammonia refrigerant on Sept. 28.  

Midway through the patrol, Alex Haley visited the remote community of St. Paul, Alaska, where crew members conducted a clean-up of a local lakefront and met with community elders. These events helped strengthen one of the many partnerships between the Coast Guard and local Alaskan communities. 

“This patrol is my first aboard Alex Haley and my first in the Bering Sea,” said Cmdr. Benjamin Golightly, the cutter’s commanding officer. “After a long period in homeport, which included major dockside repairs, the crew did an outstanding job transitioning back into the demanding routine of operations at sea.” 

“The opportunity to patrol the Bering Sea during the highly visible red king crab season was tremendously rewarding and uniquely challenging,” Golightly added. “Between the rapid operational pace of fisheries boardings, the notorious unpredictability of the weather, and the fact that search-and-rescue cases can occur at any time, there was no shortage of challenges to be met by the crew.” 

Alex Haley is a 282-foot medium-endurance cutter that has been homeported in Kodiak since 1999, routinely operating throughout the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and Pacific Ocean. The cutter’s ability to operate in extreme weather provides the mission flexibility necessary to perform search and rescue, fisheries law enforcement and vessel safety inspections across Alaska. 

These operations occur under the tactical control of the 17th Coast Guard District in Juneau, which encompasses the entire state of Alaska, as well as the coastal and offshore waters seaward over several thousands of miles.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Cutter Diligence repatriated 76 of 80 Dominican migrants to a Dominican Republic navy vessel on Oct.  18 following the interdiction of three separate illegal migrant voyages near Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard’s 7th District said in a release. 

Four other migrants will remain in Puerto Rico to face possible federal prosecution on charges of violating U.S. code for trying to illegally re-enter the United States. 

The interdictions were a result of ongoing efforts in support of Operation Unified Resolve, Operation Caribbean Guard and the Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG).  

“Medium endurance Coast Guard cutters like Dependable and Diligence provide persistent and robust search-and-rescue and law-enforcement presence along the United States’ vast maritime borders and ocean areas promoting safety of life at sea by helping prevent loss of life from perilous migrant voyages in overloaded and unsafe vessels, as well as enforcing compliance with federal laws and regulations,” said Cmdr. Luke Slivinski, commanding officer of the cutter Diligence. 

“Our recent interdictions were expertly supported by CPB Air and Marine Operations patrol aircraft that located the migrant vessels and adeptly directed our small boats over dozens of miles of open ocean at night to safely intercept them. The success of these recent joint operations highlights the excellent cooperation, coordination and interoperability between marine law enforcement agencies in and around Puerto Rico.” 

The first interdiction took place Oct. 14 after a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations DHC-8 marine patrol aircraft crew sighted a migrant boat near Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The Coast Guard Cutter Dependable interdicted the illegal voyage and embarked all 29 migrants, 22 men and seven women.  

The second interdiction took place Oct. 15 evening after a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations marine patrol aircraft crew sighted a migrant boat, approximately 18 nautical miles west of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. The Coast Guard Cutter Diligence interdicted the illegal voyage and embarked all 31 migrants, 28 men and three women.  

The third interdiction took place Oct. 17 after the crew of a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations DHC-8 marine patrol aircraft crew sighted a migrant boat in the Mona Passage, about 13 nautical miles southwest of Mona Island.  The Coast Guard Cutter Diligence interdicted the illegal voyage and embarked all 20 migrant men.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy’s last active-duty patrol squadron to operate the Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft has returned from deployment and soon will begin transition to the Boeing P-8A Poseidon.  

Patrol Squadron 40 (VP-40) completed its return to Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, Washington, on Oct. 10 from its deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet and U.S. 5th Fleet areas of operations. 

VP-40 is the last of the existing 12 VP fleet squadrons to operate the P-3C. It will join those squadrons in flying the P-8A as it begins its transition with the fleet replacement squadron, VP-30 at NAS Jacksonville, Florida. 

VP-40 had the distinction of retiring the Navy’s last flying boats, the SP-5B Marlins, in 1967 following a deployment to the Philippines and South Vietnam. 

Although it is no longer in the regular fleet deployment cycles, the P-3 will continue for several more years to be operated by several units, including two reserve VP squadrons, VP-62 and VP-69, as well as VP-30, Special Projects Patrol Squadron Two, Scientific Development Squadron One, and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30. 

The EP-3E electronic reconnaissance version will continue to deploy from NAS Whidbey Island with detachments of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One until the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle is deployed in sufficient numbers with signals intelligence capability.       

SAN DIEGO — The Navy’s next-generation narrowband satellite communications system completed a critical test and evaluation phase and was assessed as operationally effective, operational suitable and cyber survivable, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command Public Affairs said in an Oct. 16 release. The successful completion of this testing demonstrates the system’s full operational capability and its readiness for forces to transition it into unrestricted operations. 

Known as the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), it is a Navy-led effort that provides essential narrowband satellite communications for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other U.S. government organizations. The recent required completion of Multiservice Operational Test and Evaluation to evaluate measures of effectiveness, suitability and performance in an operationally representative environment means it is now ready for full operational use. Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force, the Navy’s operational test agency, led the multi-month effort that included participants from the Army and Marine Corps.  

“This is the last critical milestone before turning MUOS over for full operations, and I am very proud of the entire team that contributed to this outstanding achievement.” 

Capt. Chris DeSena, program manager, Navy Communications Satellite Program Office

“Sailors and Marines can already use MUOS in situations like humanitarian response, disaster assistance and training,” said John Pope, who leads the Navy’s Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence and Space Systems (PEO C4I and Space Systems). “Now, these same advanced communications capabilities will be available in the tactical warfare environment. The advantages MUOS provides will help the warfighter compete, deter and win on the battlefield.” 

The MUOS program falls into the program portfolio of the Navy Communications Satellite Program Office at PEO C4I and Space Systems.  

Each of the five satellites in the MUOS constellation carries two payloads. The legacy communications payload was designed to maintain DoD legacy narrowband communications during the transition to the advanced MUOS Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) capability. The MUOS WCDMA payload interfaces with the MUOS ground system through the MUOS WCDMA waveform that is integrated into end-user radios, adapting commercial cellular technology. This capability allows warfighters to communicate beyond line of sight more securely and reliably than ever before, with 10 times the capacity and significantly improved quality of service compared to the legacy narrowband constellation.  

While the legacy capability continues to support unrestricted operations, the WCDMA capability will dramatically increase effectiveness, information security and global reach for missions across the spectrum of operations.  

The WCDMA payloads were approved by U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) for Early Combatant Command Use in July 2016, paving the way for testing, training, exercises and concept of operations development across the services. In July 2018, USSTRATCOM expanded WCDMA use to include all noncombat operations. 

MUOS provides global connectivity to terminals, platforms, tactical operators and operations centers to support global voice and data communications requirements. Operators today with MUOS WCDMA radios are able to transmit simultaneous voice, video and mission data on an Internet Protocol-based system that connects to military networks. 

“This is the last critical milestone before turning MUOS over for full operations, and I am very proud of the entire team that contributed to this outstanding achievement,” said Capt. Chris DeSena, program manager, Navy Communications Satellite Program Office. “The capability MUOS brings to the warfighter is revolutionary in terms of narrowband communications, and I look forward to seeing the potential of MUOS fully realized.” 

The global community of C-130J Super Hercules operators recently surpassed 2 million flight hours, Lockheed Martin announced in an Oct. 15 release. These hours were logged beginning with the C-130J’s first flight on April 5, 1996, through the end of July 2019. 

Twenty-two operators from 18 nations contributed to this achievement, adding hours through multiple missions including combat, transport, aerial refueling, special operations, medevac, humanitarian relief, search and rescue, weather reconnaissance, firefighting and commercial freight delivery. 

“The C-130J has earned a reputation as the world’s workhorse, and this most recent achievement is a powerful reminder of the Super Hercules’ unmatched global reach.”

Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of the Air Mobility & Maritime Missions line of business at Lockheed Martin

Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of the Air Mobility & Maritime Missions line of business at Lockheed Martin, announced the milestone at the Hercules Operators Conference, the annual C-130 operator-industry event held in Atlanta. 

“The C-130J has earned a reputation as the world’s workhorse, and this most recent achievement is a powerful reminder of the Super Hercules’ unmatched global reach,” McLean said. “Crews continue to exemplify the C-130J’s proven capability and versatility with every mission they fly. The Lockheed Martin team is proud of the work of the Super Herc crews who rely on the C-130J to support vital missions, both home and abroad.” 

Countries with military variant C-130Js contributing to these flight hours include (in order of delivery) the United Kingdom, United States (the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard), Australia, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Canada, India, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Tunisia, Israel, Kuwait, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, France, and Bahrain. Also contributing is Lockheed Martin Flight Operations, whose crews are the first to fly every C-130J produced. 

The U.S. Air Force maintains the largest C-130J fleet, with Super Hercs flown by Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, Air Education and Training Command, Special Operations Command, and Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve units. In addition, Defense Contract Management Agency crews support C-130J test flights at Lockheed Martin’s Aeronautics site in Marietta, Georgia, home of C-130 production. 

The C-130J Super Hercules is the current production model of the legendary C-130 Hercules aircraft.  

SAN DIEGO — The Navy’s newest Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB), Miguel Keith (ESB 5) successfully completed acceptance trials on Oct. 11, the Naval Sea Systems Command said in an Oct. 15 release. 

The trials were conducted off the coast of Southern California after departure from the General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (GD-NASSCO) shipyard in San Diego. During the week of trials, the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey conducted comprehensive tests to demonstrate and evaluate the performance of all the ship’s major systems. 

“Our ESBs are bringing tremendous operational capability to our combatant commanders,” said Capt. Scot Searles, Strategic Sealift and Theater Sealift program manager, Program Executive Office Ships. “These ships are supporting a wide variety of mission sets in the 5th and 6th Fleet and more recently have demonstrated their ability to integrate mine countermeasure mission packages. These sea trials demonstrated the high quality of this ship and its readiness to join the fight.” 

ESBs are highly flexible, modular platforms that are optimized to support a variety of maritime based missions including Special Operations Force and Airborne Mine Countermeasures support operations in addition to humanitarian support and sustainment of traditional military missions, according to the Navy.  

“Our ESBs are bringing tremendous operational capability to our combatant commanders.”

Capt. Scot Searles, Strategic Sealift and Theater Sealift program manager, Program Executive Office Ships

ESBs include a four-spot flight deck and hangar and a versatile mission deck and are designed around four core capabilities: aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support, and command and control assets. ESBs will operate as the component commander requires providing the U.S. Navy fleet with a critical access infrastructure that supports the flexible deployment of forces and supplies.  

Miguel Keith is the third platform of the ESB variant and is scheduled to deliver in early fiscal 2020. GD-NASSCO is also under contract for detail design and construction of ESB 6 and 7, with an option for ESB 8.    

AeroVironment Inc. has launched the Puma LE (Long Endurance), the next generation in its Puma All Environment small unmanned aircraft system product line, the company said in an Oct. 14 release. The updated platform has increased range and expanded payload capacity, according to the company. Puma LE features an integrated Mantis i45 gimbaled electro-optical/infrared sensor and night-vision goggle-visible laser illuminator, to provide imagery for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) during day, night and low-light operations on land and in maritime environments.   

Delivering Group 2 capabilities in a Group 1 footprint, the aircraft weighs 22.5 pounds (10.4 kilograms) and is launchable by hand or bungee. Onboard batteries provide 5.5 hours of flight endurance, doubling the time on station of Puma 3 AE, with an operational range of 60 kilometers when used with AeroVironment’s Long-Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA). Puma LE’s dual-case mission pack contains everything needed to perform two complete 5.5-hour missions with a single aircraft and ground control system.  

According to AeroVironment, Puma LE is built for multimission operations with up to 5.5 pounds of total payload capacity. The aircraft’s ruggedized secondary payload bay enables the integration of third-party payloads, with a dedicated power supply providing 18-24 volts at up to 5 amps, and an Ethernet connection port for payload communications.  

“Puma LE is the next generation of the combat-proven Puma AE small UAS, delivering immediate tactical ISR, extended endurance and a dedicated secondary payload bay to dramatically expand its mission capabilities,” said Rick Pedigo, vice president of sales and business development for AeroVironment. “With Puma LE, AeroVironment expands the envelope of small unmanned aircraft systems, and enables our customers to proceed with certainty in ever-changing operational environments.”   

Puma LE can be operated manually or autonomously with AeroVironment’s common GCS. 

MARINETTE, Wis. — Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine marked the start of construction on littoral combat ship (LCS) 27, the future USS Nantucket, with a ceremony here Oct. 9, according to a Lockheed Martin statement. 

As part of a ship-building tradition dating back centuries, a shipyard worker welded the initials of Polly Spencer, USS Nantucket’s ship sponsor and wife of Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer, into the ship’s keel plate. This plate will be affixed to the ship and travel with Nantucket throughout its commissioned life. 

“The USS Nantucket will confront many complex challenges,” Spencer said. “It will confront humanitarian relief all the way to ‘great power competition,’ drawing on the strength of every weld, every rivet applied by the great people here.”  

The focused-mission LCS is designed to support mine countermeasures, anti-submarine and surface warfare missions today and is easily adapted to serve future and evolving missions tomorrow. 

About 40% of the hull of a Freedom variant LCS is reconfigurable, able to integrate Longbow Hellfire Missiles, 30 mm guns and manned and unmanned vehicles. LCS is equipped with Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) and a Mark 110 gun, capable of firing 220 rounds per minute. An LCS also is capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots.  

“LCS can serve a multitude of missions to include surface, anti-submarine and mine countermeasure missions by quickly integrating mission equipment and deploying manned and unmanned aerial, surface or sub-surface vehicles,” said Joe DePietro, vice president and general manager of small combatants and ship systems for Lockheed Martin. 

LCS 27 is the first U.S. Navy ship to be named after Nantucket, Massachusetts, in more than 150 years. Nantucket has a deep connection to sailing and maritime traditions, serving as a whaling hub in the 1800s and as the home of generations of American Sailors since the town’s beginning. The previous USS Nantucket, the first to be named after the island, was commissioned in 1862 to serve during the Civil War. 

“I have been given a very special honor in being the sponsor of the future USS Nantucket. I am happy she is being built here in Marinette, Wisconsin, which has an impressive history of shipbuilding,” said Polly Spencer, LCS 27 sponsor. “Thank you to all the talented people who are bringing this ship to life. … It is going to be an amazing journey that I am thrilled to be on.” 

LCS 27 will be the 14th Freedom-variant LCS and will join a class of more than 30 ships. It is one of six ships in various stages of construction and test at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard. 

“We are very excited to begin construction of the future USS Nantucket,” said Jan Allman, chief executive officer of Fincantieri Marinette Marine. “Our men and women are proud to put their efforts into giving the Navy versatile ships to keep our country and its interests safe.”

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement crews interdicted a record-breaking number of lanchas throughout the Gulf of Mexico for fiscal year 2019, according to a Coast Guard 8th District release. 

Since October 2018, Coast Guard assets and personnel have detected a total of 175 lanchas, intercepted 138 and interdicted 74. Since the first recorded lancha interdiction in the late 1980s, the Coast Guard has seen a significant uptick in detection of the vessels, particularly in the past two years, recording 61 lancha interdictions in the previous fiscal year. 

The Coast Guard utilizes a layered approach for interdiction through aircraft, small boats and cutters as well as improved technology on those assets, resulting in the drastic increase in lancha interdictions. 

“Working with our ReCoM partners, we will continue to apply maximum pressure along the Maritime Boundary Line in order to deter this illicit activity, preserve our natural resources and uphold U.S. sovereignty,” said Lt. Kurtis Mees, Coast Guard Station South Padre Island commanding officer. 

“I couldn’t be prouder of my crew’s efforts and their steadfast dedication towards this mission. This problem has persisted now in South Texas for 30-plus years, and we are committed to seeing an end to it.” 

A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is about 20 to 30 feet long with a slender profile. They typically have one outboard motor and are capable of traveling at speeds in excess of 30 mph. Lanchas pose a major threat, usually entering the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone near the U.S.-Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico with the intent to smuggle people, drugs or poach the United States’ natural resources.